


When Your Love Hurts

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Freedom AU [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Super Sons (Comics), Superman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: Damian didn’t expect his brother-in-law to break into his office today. He also didn’t expect the reason that he did so.
Relationships: Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Series: Freedom AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1113378
Comments: 7
Kudos: 273





	When Your Love Hurts

**Author's Note:**

> In which I write about Tim but I’m actually writing about myself, whoops. Tim did show up to Jon’s office, whatever that is I haven’t decided, and Jon just immediately took him back to his and Damian’s house. I might write more for this little scenario, or I might not, I dunno. As soon as they kind of make up a little, Tim and Conner immediately bombard Damian and Jon with questions about when they’re getting married. Damian surprises himself by not regretting a single bit of it. He loves this new life.

He heard a commotion in the lobby. Nothing new, not in a place like this. Dogs barking, scared cats, sobbing persons giving up their animals, angry ones trying to steal theirs back. The shelter was almost like Gotham, but nothing he, or his staff, couldn’t handle.

In fact, this commotion was more his staff than anyone else, he noted. Trying to…stop someone? Or get more information, perhaps. The dog currently recuperating in his office, Isabella, heard the noise too, and raised her head to growl.

“Sir…sir, wait!” The call was much closer than the lobby. Damian glanced up just as his doorknob turned. “You _need_ an appoint-”

The door swung open to reveal a man in red plaid underneath a leather jacket, jeans and sunglasses. He let the office door smack against the wall, and under Isabella’s barking, Damian could only sigh.

Not the boy from Smallville he liked to see.

“Hey, Dames.” Conner grinned, raising the sunglasses to sit on his head. “Have a sec?”

“I’m so sorry, Damian, I tried-” the receptionist rambled behind him. Damian waved them off.

“It’s fine, he’s…family.” Damian said reluctantly. The receptionist glanced between them and nodded, disappearing back into the hall. Damian glared at Conner. “I told you not to call me that.”

Conner shrugged, closing the door behind him and dropping into the chair across from Damian’s desk. Immediately, his ‘cooler-than-thou’ façade dropped, and he ran his hand down his face. Isabella gave a small woof and stood, jogging over to slot her face between Conner’s knees.

“If you’re looking for your brother, for the millionth time, he does _not_ work here. He has his own job.” Damian hummed, going back to his paperwork. “But I’m sure he’d love to catch a late lunch-”

“Not looking for Jonno.” Conner droned. Dropped his hand and gave a weak smile to the dog waiting for love. “I am actually here looking for you. I guess. I don’t know.”

“Oh?” Damian put his pen down, giving the other his full attention after fixing his glasses. “Everything…okay?”

“…Yeah.” Conner sighed again, taking Isabella’s muzzle in his hands and petting along her whiskers. “…Your brother is an asshole.”

Ah.

“I mean, they all are, but I’m assuming you’re speaking of one in particular.” Damian surmised. “…Does he know you’re here?”

“No. And if he does, he clearly doesn’t care.”

Damian almost scoffed, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Tim cared about Conner more than probably anyone else. He did _marry_ him, after all.

“I see.” Damian said instead. “What happened?”

Conner shrugged, focused on Isabella.

“Conner, you just broke into my office.” Damian hummed calmly. “I think I have a right to ask what you and my brother fought about that caused you to do so.”

Conner still held out, still remained silent for a few moments.

“…He doesn’t care about himself. He doesn’t _take_ care of himself.” Conner muttered. “Says it’s a waste of time, and that his energy is better spent taking care of _other_ people. Taking care of _me_.”

“You’ve known for years we’re all a bit…self-sacrificing.” Damian admitted. “What made it so bad this time?”

“He just...won’t even consider it!” Conner snapped. “I even _begged_ him to take care of himself, for _me_ , and he _refuses_.”

“It is…a flaw. One he’s carried for years. Even Grayson couldn’t rid him of it.” Damian sighed sadly. “He’s never thought he was worthy, or _mattered_.”

“And he does! He matters!” Conner cried, slumping back in the chair. Isabella tried wagging her tail to regain his attention. “He matters to me, to our friends. To _you_ , I’d hope.”

“Of course he does.” Damian agreed quickly, trying to push down the feeling of being offended. It’d been years since he and Tim had been at odds, Conner knows that. “To me and the entire family.”

“And that’s why I’m here, because you get it. You get _him_.” Conner deflated. “But more than Dick or Bruce, you don’t feel a need to go running to him and tell him everything I said or…or try to _fix_ everything right in that moment or whatever.”

“Because he’s a grown man. I can’t fix his problems for him, and pressuring him in a demand he talks has the opposite affect. One day our father and brother will get that.” Damian nodded. “However…in Drake’s defense, I know the feeling. You know, of not mattering, or being worthy.” Damian snorted. “I know it all _too_ well.”

“Yeah, but _you got over it_.” Conner whined.

“Well, for one, that’s a far too oversimplified conclusion, as I don’t entirely agree with that personally.” Damian scolded. Isabella whined at Conner’s knees and jumped up to put her paws on his thigh. “And two, I’m only dealing with it in a healthy manner because of your brother.”

“What, did he just overwhelm you with his undying love, to the point your brain couldn’t _not_ believe what he said to you?” Conner pouted, crossing his arms. Isabella tapped at his leg, but he ignored her.

“In the attempt to not, again, oversimplify it while not getting into a discussion of my own personal health and derail this entire conversation – yes.” Damian snapped his fingers and Isabella hopped down, trotting back to his side. “But that also took years to even get to that point, and Jonathan knows it continues to be an ongoing process.”

A pause to glance down at Isabella. She gave him a doggy grin.

“But that is also me. A person who had a poor upbringing and was not told explicitly I was loved until I was eleven, by Grayson.” Damian explained. “Timothy, if I had to guess based on observation and experience, did not have _that_ tragic past. His idea of his lack of worth most likely comes from dealing with our father’s grief in the aftermath of Todd’s death, and then continually losing loved ones to violent deaths every few months for a number of years. He believes it his fault, that his presence somehow forced those tragedies to occur, or that he should have been able to fix said emotional issues of others, like with my father.”

“So…what you’re saying is that me telling him I love him more than the goddamn sun like Jon did and does for you won’t work.” Conner exhaled.

“Not necessarily.” Damian admitted guiltily.

“So…what do I do?” Conner asked pathetically. “Because I don’t think I have to tell you that I love him more than anything in this solar system. But I can’t…he’s breaking my heart, Damian. I can’t _live_ this way.”

“And you shouldn’t. But I am sorry you are.” Damian nodded. “But, again, if I _had_ to guess, based on what you’re telling me…he knows that. He knows he’s breaking your heart, and he blames himself for your frustration. He probably believes if he was better, if he _wasn’t_ so worthless, or maybe even _selfish_ , he wouldn’t have frustrated you.”

Conner tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. Isabella barked at Damian.

“And if in your arguments he’s yelling at you, it’s because he’s also frustrated with _himself_. Because he wishes he _could_ believe you, wishes he could fix his brain and make all the disbelief in himself go away. But then it restarts the cycle of believing he could and _should_ be better, thus cementing the idea that since he’s not, he’s worthless.” Damian leaned back in his chair, circling his hand in the air as he spoke, reaching out to pet Isabella with the other. “Logically, I’m sure he’s fully aware of all these problems. But emotionally, he just _can’t fix them_ , as much as he _desperately_ wants to.”

“So…” Conner repeated. “What do I do?”

“Educate yourself, for the time being. I told you what I believe, take that into account if you wish.” Damian shrugged. “But in the meantime, just stay with him. Know he’s trying, even through your mutual frustrations. And as cliché as it is, don’t go to bed angry.”

“What?”

“It’s…what Jon did.” Damian admitted quietly. “We would have fights that probably rival you and Drake’s. One of us would often storm off, without anything being solved.” Damian looked at Isabella, giving a soft smile. “But…every night, even if it was past midnight, Jon would come home, or find me wherever I went, and just lay in the bed with me. We didn’t always apologize, or even say anything. But we still went to bed together, still held each other.”

Conner waited.

“It didn’t fix everything, or probably really anything, but it was evidence, to that little demon in my brain.” Damian continued. “It…also helped when I, when _we_ , left the costumes. But I’d never ask that, or even _suggest_ that, to you or him.”

Conner smiled. “Because you and Tim are different people.” Damian chuckled. “And you each need different solutions.”

“So you do listen sometimes.” Damian shook his head. Just as he did, he got a text, his phone buzzing underneath some of the papers on his desk. Already having a feeling he knew who it was, he dug it out and picked it up.

It was a picture. Tim lying pathetically on his living room floor, surrounded by many of their pets, clinging to the closest cat.

_I believe he’s here looking for you._

Damian snorted, texting back, _‘Be home soon. Please speak with him in the meantime about how you and your brother’s minds work. Also ask him what he wants for dinner, since it appears we’re having guests.’_

“I should charge you and Drake for therapy services.” Damian murmured, lifting his phone to snap his own photo of Conner, slumped childishly in his chair. He sent it immediately.

Jon quickly responded. _Niceeeeeeeee_.

Damian grinned at the childish response, then glanced down to the dog at his side. “Would you also like to accompany us for dinner, Izzie?”

Isabella barked and wagged her tail.

“What?” Conner asked dumbly. “Who’s going to dinner?”

“You.” Damian hummed, standing. “And then I’m locking you and Drake in our guest room where you can fight or fuck it out. You choose. Then you’ll be staying the night.”

Conner shook his head. “Got patrol tonight.”

“As I’m sure Drake did too. But considering he’s currently trying to smother himself in the fur of my cat, I believe those plans are all cancelled.” Damian walked by, Isabella following, grabbing his car keys from the hook by the door. “Also, if you really think you’re leaving without staying the night, you don’t know your _own_ brother as well as you believe you do.”

Conner groaned, but stood anyway, following behind Isabella like a scolded child. “I was…kind of hoping Jon wouldn’t know I was here.”

“And I would have let that happen if my brother didn’t show up on his office’s doorstep as well.” Damian smirked, opening the door. “You and Drake are predictable and far too similar.”

“Almost like we’re an old married couple.” Conner drawled. Damian laughed. “…Thanks for your help, though. I do appreciate it.”

“I’ll accept that appreciation only if anything I told you actually helps Drake heal, in any way.” Damian countered. He hesitated in the hallway, though, and glanced back. “Remember, this process will take time.”

“I know.” Conner smiled, he put a hand on Damian’s shoulder. “That’s why if you lock us in your guest room tonight, we’re _absolutely_ fucking. Because this fight won’t be over for a long time.”

Damian frowned. “You’re disgusting.”

“But you love me?” Conner tried, waving to the front desk staff as they walked out.

Damian sighed as Isabella ran ahead, jumping and barking back at them. “Only for the sake of my boyfriend and my brother. And even then, _only_ sometimes.”

“I’ll take sometimes as a win.” Conner grinned as they got into Damian’s car. Isabella happily wiggled in Conner’s lap. “Now, chauffeur, please deliver me to my husband.”

Damian just sighed and pulled out of the lot.


End file.
